Back on Track
by FinnickOdair-Will-Live-Forever
Summary: Valentine's Day oneshot. Like any couple, Cato and Clove argue. However, they'd never had an argument that was almost unforgivable until Clove's birthday. Now the clock is ticking, and it's up to Cato to make amends before Clove drop kicks his sorry behind straight into next year.


**Hey, so this is a Valentine's Day oneshot. Sorry it's a few days late. :) I don't own The Hunger Games, or the song used. Italics are the flashback. :)**

The day Clove walked into school with dark sunglasses on and a pounding hangover was the day people realized the so called 'Clato' was over.

Clove was cranky all day. She yelled at her drama teacher to 'turn the lights the fuck down'. She snapped at her algebra teacher, saying 'who would want to find an X? Exes are stupid.' She told her languages to piss off in six different languages. She told her English teacher that he could 'shove his stupid book where the sun doesn't shine'. At lunch, she was even more snarky and rude to her friends.

"What the hell is up with you?" Marvel, one of her best friends, hissed in her ear. She glared at him for a few seconds before punching him in the stomach and walking out of the cafeteria. She heard footsteps behind her and quickened her pace.

"Clove, stop!" It was Annie's voice. Clove stopped walking. Annie had been her closest friend since they were knee height and running around with ribbons in their hair. Clove found it impossible to ignore her.

"What do you want?" Clove snapped, turning round to look Annie in the eyes.

"I want to know what's wrong." Annie said.

"Nothing. I'm fine." Clove scowled.

"Then why haven't you spoken to Cato all day? And why have you been wearing Cato's old sun glasses all day?" Annie asked. Clove has to give her credit; she was smarter than she looked.

"Firstly, don't _ever _say his name when I'm around. As of last night, I hate him. I've realised that he was the worst two years of my life. Secondly, I have a hangover and the lights are too bright. That's why I have to wear these stupid things. " Clove explained.

"You and Cato broke up last night?" Annie asked in shock. Cato and Clove had been together for two years, and nobody thought they'd break up any time soon.

"Yes. Problem?" Clove asked.

"Well, yeah…You seemed so happy on Tuesday. And you do know what day it is, right?" Annie asked, fiddling with the bracelet Finnick had given her.

"Yes. It's Thursday." Clove snapped.

"Not just a Thursday. It's _Valentine's _day." Annie explained.

"The shittiest day of the year." Clove frowned.

"That's not what you were saying last year when Cato gave you your weight in chocolate." Annie pointed out.

"Well, I was stupid back then. I've been stupid for the past two years, dating _him_." Clove said, taking of her dark sun glasses. She had bags under her eyes and they were bright red rimmed, which could only have been from crying.

"Your eyes say otherwise. Come here." Annie opened her arms and Clove stepped into them, letting the tears she had been holding back all morning finally fall. It was just her and Annie in the corridor, and Clove trusted her not to tell anyone about her break down.

"Oh, Clove. What happened?" Annie asked, rubbing the other girl's back. Clove pulled away from the hug.

"It was just some stupid fight!" Clove said, kicking a locker.

"Explain what happened. It'll make you feel better." Annie said calmly. Clove nodded and took a deep breath.

"I woke up on Wednesday and checked my phone. There were six happy birthday texts, but nothing from Cato. I figured he'd just say something at school. I got to school, and he still didn't say anything, so I presumed he'd take me out somewhere later that evening. So when I got home I called him. He told me that he was busy babysitting his little cousin, and I could come over later. I thought that he was going to at least with me a happy birthday when I went over…But he didn't."

"He forgot your birthday? But you've known each other since you were five!" Annie said with wide eyes.

"I know. Anyway, I asked him if he knew what the date was. He looked at me strangely and said 'February thirteenth' before switching on the TV. So I said 'What special occasion is on the thirteenth?' And you know what he said? He said 'Nothing special. Just taco day in the cafeteria.'" Clove explained.

"That's horrible!" Annie gasped.

"I said 'Are you kidding?' and he said 'No, I love tacos.' And then we had our argument."

"_You asshole. It's my birthday!" Clove snapped at Cato._

"_No it isn't, Clove. I would have remembered." Cato laughed. Clove walked over to where she had dumped her bag and pulled out the contents._

"_Then what are these then?" Clove asked, pulling a stack of birthday card out of the front pocket._

"_Shit. I'm so, so sorry Clover." Cato said, running a hand through his hair._

"_Don't you 'Clover' me, Cato." Clove snapped. "We've been dating for two years. We've known each other for twelve years. How could you forget my birthday?"_

"_I honestly don't know. I've never forgotten before." Cato answered, standing up and walking over to her._

"_That's what's making me kind of suspicious." Clove frowned in response._

"_Suspicious? Baby, you have no reason to be. I'll make it up to you, I promise." Cato said, grabbing Clove's hand._

"_That's not necessary." Clove said, pulling her hand away and walking over to the window._

"_I want too." Cato insisted, walking after Clove. He stood behind her, so Clove turned around._

"_No, don't. You've been distant lately, so there must be something going on. Something more important than me."_

"_That's not fair, Clover. You know you're the most important thing in my life." _

"_Apparently I'm not, because if I was you would have remembered my freaking birthday!" Clove snapped._

"_I've had a lot on my mind lately. I'm sorry, okay?" Cato sighed._

"_No, it's not okay! I didn't forget your birthday when my mom died, or when my grandmother went into hospital, or even when I was recovering from whiplash for two months!" Clove yelled, prodding him in the chest when she stated each point._

"_Cut it out, Clove! I've said sorry, there's not much else I can do!" Cato said, his voice getting louder._

"_You could have at least wished me a happy birthday!" Clove shouted._

"_Happy fucking birthday! Are you okay now? Does that make everything better?" Cato asked sarcastically._

"_No, actually!"_

"_Well, it's not my fault that you're so…Unforgiving! I try my hardest to make you happy, make you smile, and you never once say thank you! I don't think you understand that although I love you and you're the best thing that ever happened to me, being with you can be one of the hardest things ever! A 'thank you' would be nice sometimes!" Cato yelled. Clove stared at him in shock for a few seconds, before slapping him round the face._

"_Who helped you through your grandfather's death? Who didn't leave the hospital at all when you got knocked out and didn't wake up for three days? Who was on the one that comforted when you cried for the first time in four years? Me. It was me, and I don't recall you saying 'thank you' once." Clove screamed._

"_Clove, I-"_

"_No. You're a fuck up, Cato. You make excuses for yourself. Call me when you're man enough to take some responsibility." Clove said, pushing past him to get to the door._

"_What's that supposed to mean?" Cato asked, following her._

"_It means I'm done with you. I'm done with _this_. We…We're through." Clove said, pushing open the door and running down the path._

"We've never argued like that before." Clove admitted, her tears slowing down.

"It'll be okay. You'll be okay." Annie said, leaning against a locker.

"I _slapped _him, Annie. Anyway, he said some terrible stuff and he's going to have to work incredibly hard if he wants me to even _consider _giving him another chance." Clove said, folding her arms and leaning against a different locker.

"Another chance is exactly what I want and I'll stop at nothing to get it." Recognizing the voice instantly, Clove quickly pulled on her sunglasses before turning around.

"Fuck off." She replied.

"Never." Cato replied. His eyes weren't as red as Clove's, but it was evident that he had cried recently.

"Been crying have you, Cato? Realise that you actually _do _need me?" Clove sneered. Cato stepped forward and pulled the glasses from her face before she could react.

"Seems like you need me too." He said, sliding the glasses into Clove's outstretched hand.

"Fuck off." Clove repeated, stepping away from Cato.

"No." He replied, stepping towards her again. "You were right, I'm a fuck up. I lost _you_, which means I'm the biggest fuck up that ever lived. I'm ready to accept responsibility for…Well, for everything." Cato said.

"Go ahead." Clove snorted.

"Fine. It's my fault we're in this situation. I forgot your birthday, one of the most important days of the year next to our anniversary, and then I made shitty excuses to cover for myself because I'm an ass. It didn't work because you were too smart to forgive me; you knew you had to teach me a lesson. I'm so ungrateful of everything you've done for me. I've become a better person during past two years because of you than I ever could have been without you. To be honest, I just want to forget this ever happened and go back to _us_." Cato said honestly, taking Clove's hand.

"Do something to prove that and I'll take you back." Clove said, walking away and leaving Cato to figure out what the hell he should do.

…

That evening, Clove attended the Valentine's Day dance, only instead of going with Cato she was on her own. However, that didn't stop her from wearing his old brown bead necklace and the smallest shirt of his she could find at her house under her baggy jumper. She was too stubborn to tell him she already missed him, but she had no problem with admitting it to herself.

Clove was stood with Marvel when the music was cut and Cato took to the stage.

"Um, hey guys." He said into a microphone. "I'd like to dedicate this song to Clove, the most beautiful person in my life." Clove felt a blush settle on her cheeks as he started to sing.

_If you ever leave me, baby, _

_Leave some morphine at my door _

_'Cause it would take a whole lot of medication _

_To realize what we used to have, _

_We don't have it anymore. _

_There's no religion that could save me _

_No matter how long my knees are on the floor _

_So keep in mind all the sacrifices I'm makin' _

_Will keep you by my side _

_And keep you from walkin' out the door. _

_Cause there'll be no sunlight _

_If I lose you, baby _

_There'll be no clear skies _

_If I lose you, baby _

_Just like the clouds _

_My eyes will do the same if you walk away _

_Every day, it'll rain, rain, rain _

_I'll never be your mother's favourite _

_Your daddy can't even look me in the eye _

_Oooo if I was in their shoes, I'd be doin' the same thing _

_Sayin' there goes my little girl _

_Walkin' with that troublesome guy _

_But they're just afraid of something they can't understand _

_Oooo but little darlin' watch me change their minds _

_Yea for you I'll try I'll try I'll try I'll try _

_I'll pick up these broken pieces 'til I'm bleeding _

_If that'll make you mine _

_Cause there'll be no sunlight _

_If I lose you, baby _

_There'll be no clear skies _

_If I lose you, baby _

_Just like the clouds _

_My eyes will do the same if you walk away _

_Every day, it will rain, rain, rain _

_Oh don't just say, goodbye _

_Don't just say, goodbye _

_I'll pick up these broken pieces 'til I'm bleeding _

_If that'll make it right _

_Cause there'll be no sunlight _

_If I lose you, baby _

_And there'll be no clear skies _

_If I lose you, baby _

_And just like the clouds _

_My eyes will do the same if you walk away _

_Every day, it'll rain, rain, rain_

The audience applauded as Cato walked off of the stage and nervously approached Clove.

"I just embarrassed the hell out of myself to try and prove myself to you, so please tell me it worked." He said. Clove rolled her eyes, and pulled his head down. Their lips met and neither pulled away until they had to breathe.

"Does this mean we're getting back together?" Cato asked, grinning like a school boy.

"I guess it does." Clove responded, smiling for the first time since they broke up.


End file.
